The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-07-30

,"T Anoy wer0 packing their
:lo'ning In curious baskets. suspend-
ing their kettles and pots from long
sticks which they carried between them
over their shoulders. Some loaded
their mules; some went onfoot; but all
were going.
"Was the Travelling Family some
band OF Indianse" l asked myself, .or
robbers who were known to have no
mercyl"
At least I had nothing to steal, and l
had been in savage lands without get.
ting into difficulties.
The Mexicans had warned me of
something they considered dangerous.
They had not lied; but curiosity got
the better of me. and l resolved to stay
and see what 1t all meant knew
that ! understood the language sufa.
eicntly to interpret the words. Travel
ing Family was the correct definition;
but OF what did this family consisti
Wild beasts did not march slowly
down upon a village. Sayages gener.
ally made ambush. knew Of no sort
Of storm that could have such q name
bestowed upon it, and of no convul-
sion OF nature. and / intended to wait
and see what would happen. OF
course l asked some explanation, but
all the answer I could get was that the
Travelling Family were coming, and
that we must all 60 at once.
FinallyI watched them depart in lit.
tic groups. bewailing the necessity of
leaving their homes, but quite unable
to explain to me what it was they
dreaded.
l found myself alone at nightfall.
but. though I used my glass, l saw
nothing in any direction to terrify me.
It was q strange thing. however, to be
the only inhabitant Of a deserted vii
lage. I missed even my far from at
f~ectionate neighbors. and heartily
wished them back. Only one compan-
ion remained to me-a poor little dog,
which had fed, and which had in CON
sequence attached itself to me.
It was not natural that l should sleep
very soundly under such circumstances.
1t was a night Of the full moon. The
sky was almost as clear as day. and it
was extremely warm.
My hammock swung within my hut.
l tossed and turned in it without
closing my eyes. Occasionally l arose
and looked out into the night. All
vas silent save the hum Of insects.
The Travelling Family were not yet ar
rived neither whoop Of savage man
nor roar of savage beast was audible.
At last I slept. I was deep in
dreamland, when the bowling of my
dog aroused me. He was a quiet ami
nal, and lay curled up on the floor be-
meath me; but as I lifted my head, l
saw him at the door, well outlined
against the moonlight. Every line Of
his wiry frame expressed abject terror.
"Whatever they are, the Travelling
Family are here" l said to myself,
''and that dog sees Them" and I
sprang to my feet, wrapped my blank.
ct about me as a sort Of shield, and
seized my pistol.
Thus prepared I stood at the door.
The bright sky was overhead. The
little adobe village all about me. Be-
yond. the wide pampa spread afar, with
its covering Of coarse grass, which,
when moved by the wind, took the
form Of ocean pillows. But what was
this Spreading for miles away,
broad and long. q great black river
seemed to be running over the pampa.
Slowly it drew nearer, and l heard a
noise like the rustling and cracking
of hard paper. only much louder than
is possible to this sound.
Something came something my dog
feared horribly. Terror is infectious.
l merely paused to seize my portfolio.
I had not undressed for the night, and
followed him as he rushed out ol the
village.
At daybreak I had reached the IA
gin of q river. and, happily, a rude
hostelry. where rest and food might be
obtained. The landlord spoke En-
glish.
''Where do you come from?" he
asked.
told him.
''Thcn l do not ask you why you
come" he said. Il know already that
the Travelling F amily have come. God
abate that nuisance! and may they
turn the other way. or it will be our
turn to II next. How is it that you
are behind the others? You must be
the man from the United States they
told me OF. Perhaps Yankee curiosity
got the best of you. You desired to see
this Travelling Family"
.Nuy Npn Al - .r~ a~nnly